Monday, December 16, 2013

Permanent Records Update 12.16.13

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LP - Various Artists - The Reverb Conspiracy Vol. II 2xLP - $31.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

The Reverberation Appreciation Society / Fuzz Club dynamic duo strikes again with the second installment of their killer "Reverb Conspiracy" series, documenting the best of underground psych bands kicking around Europe.   Fuck yeah!  This is one conspiracy we can believe in !

"The Reverb Conspiracy Volume II brings together 16 of Europe’s most interesting emerging psych bands, key bands in a scene that is quickly gathering momentum around the world.
The Reverb Conspiracy Volume II is a deluxe limited edition vinyl release, featuring 180 gram coloured vinyl and a gatefold cover. Brett Orrison, sound engineer for The Black Angels, has mastered the album especially for vinyl. The cover artwork has again been created by iconic Icelandic artist and member of Dead Skeletons, Jon Saemundur aka Nonni Dead, making this the second in his Reverb Conspiracy series.." - Reverberation Appreciation Society

We've been ranting and raving about albums from Fuzz Club, Reverberation Appreciation Society and Cardinal Fuzz all year long, and "Reverb Conspiracy Vol 2" is like a "best of" from our favorite bands on these labels and a few others this year.  Starting off with the droned psych of the Janitors and finishing off two lps later with the druggy haze of Big Naturals, this comp is all killer no filler mind expanding psych rock!!!!   Seriously just take a quick look at the list of bands involved: Sonic Jesus, Acid Baby Jesus, Cult of Dom Keller, Cosmic Dead, to name just a few.   Sign us up!  If you're new to these bands, or a diehard psych fan like we are, this comp won't leave yer turntable.  SUPER RECOMMENDED!!!!!

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LP - Holy Wave - Evil Hits - $14.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

The latest dose of lysergic rock n roll from Reverberation Appreciation Society is "Evil Hits" from Austin's Holy Wave!!!!   Combining 5 tracks from the band’s 2011 sold-out debut LP “Knife Hits” and all 5 tracks off their now OOP 2012 EP “The Evil Has Landed” into a 180g vinyl release, this is the perfect introduction to the hazy psych of Holy Wave.   "Evil Hits" starts off in the same droned out psych camp as recent albums by the Night Beats and Black Angels but adds layers of sun fried shoegaze and a touch of garage pop tremolo to the mix, making it equal parts druggy, poppy and super addicting.   Fans of everyone from Underground Youth to Thee Oh Sees, as well as Brian Jonestown Massacre and White Fence, PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN AUSTIN and grab "Evil Hits" now!!!   This is just a teaser for a new full length coming soon via Reverberation Appreciation Society and you need to be in the know NOW.   HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!

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LP - Harsh Toke - Light Up And Live - $14.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

Oh this is on Tee Pee?  You bet yer ass its gonna be a ripper!  Read on as the Tee Pee'ers tell the tale of Harsh Toke:

"Psychedelic rockers HARSH TOKE explore sound and space through music.  On the San Diego Acid Rock band’s debut album Light Up and Live, loud, heavy guitars, swimming bass lines and smashing drums warp to full throttle, working together to launch the group’s “Haze Maze” of unapologetic psychedelic-blues into interstellar overdrive. Recorded by Brian Ellis (also of the prog-rock band ASTRA) and mastered by Carl Saff (Earthless, OFF!, Unsane), HARSHTOKE‘s Light Up and Live will be released on November 19 via Tee Pee.
Led by ripping pro skater and rip-roaring guitarist Justin “Figgy” Figueroa, HARSH TOKEare equal parts atmospheric and anarchic, merging raging, blind fury musicianship with unprecedented white-knuckle volume abuse.  Tense and surreal, HARSH TOKES‘ songs slowly build from hallucinatory haze into grand overtures of noise and feedback; a cosmic buffet of pounding, pummeling and punishing planes of sound.  Heavy.  Cosmic.  Kinetic.
HARSH TOKE lay down sizzling grooves with every needle on the soundboard pinned to the red.  If Blue Cheer could be called “Louder than God” in 1968, forty five years later, HARSH TOKEcan easily be pegged as “Louder than Satan.”  Run for your lives – into the din."

"Light Up and Live" is four loooooong jams of interstellar hesher rock played with unbridled fury and with some serious musical chops.  You know we'd never steer ya wrong, if you love all things groovy, heavy and THC-ey as we do then don some shades and drop into the stunning sonic stylings of Harsh Toke.  For fans of Earthless, White Hills, Hawkwind, Blue Cheer, Pink Floyd, Iron Butterfly and loud no nonsense psychedelic groove rock lunacy! Drop the needle and let Harsh Toke fry yer brain into the cosmos.  Ludicrously Recommended.

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LP - Zingers - Zingers - Import - $17.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

Nihilistic & buzzing punk rock from this gaggle of Melbourne maniacs, released on the recently minted Million Dollar Records - read their manifesto here:

"Straight from the 18th hole of Bushwood Country Club, ruining the party, watch common decency fly out the window, it’s THE ZINGERS. Taking an anti punk stance to another level, The Zingers assume something like the position of martini swilling, sauna dwelling, sand wedging, debonair types who are big wheels in the pork belly market. The truth is, the band was formed in 2010 above a falafel kitchen and next to a meat slinging bawdy house. When the band finally found stability, made up of ex members of Pathetic Human, Flesh World, Insurgents and Chrome Dome, the next three years were littered with colourful public appearances. Most notable for a sharp but cheap dress sense, The Zingers set out to confuse the masses with a series of awkward but intimidating confrontations, contorting visual and audio aspects into a jagged world of disproportion and a wry sense of wit nobody is really meant to relate to. Lets make one thing clear, The Zingers are not a joke band. The point was to reverse every punk stereotype and counter the pissweak idea of writing “dumb music” and lack of progression that seemed to dominate punk at the time. Influenced initially by the savage satire and suave of Geza X And The Mommymen, Black Randy And The Metrosquad and Fear to name a few, The Zingers looked far outside the square to take their music elsewhere. Crazed syncopated drumming, annoying guitar turned up to 11, hard driving bass and crude throat peeling vocals create an artificial world only they may populate. Combined with some extra instrumental licks (skinny slapping vibraphone a clear highlight) create a perturbing yet sophisticated concoction. The LP was recorded in 2011 and mixed over long arduous sessions. Sadly, they fell victim to their own concept, creating inner friction over creative control and ceasing the morph into a jazz fusion act that would bring hot fun back to the music industry. Twisted, aloof, unashamedly offensive, cocky, grandiloquent and downright zany, let Randy Richard, Swastika Sweatman, Wild Western and Chingford take you moonlighting through the cactus fields. The long awaited LP by The Zingers comes at you with a clang."

Zingers come clattering outta the gate, spasmodically wailing like the demon-spawn of the Crucifucks, Rudimentary Peni, Die Kreuzen & Black Randy! These dudes don't give a fuck & rage hard, shattering riffs over hotwired, mutant drums & cocksure, snotty punk vox! The whole vibe reeks hard of Los Angeles circa late Seventies, with a palpable whiff of sunbaked mutant stench. These guys don't fit in & they're gonna tell you about it.  Another sure-fire Aussie success story - this one's limited to 500 copies, so don't snooze! RECOMMENDED... open up the pit

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LP - Zacht Automaat - Zacht Automaat - $27.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen
LIMITED TO 333 COPIES - INCLUDES CD & DOWNLOAD CODE

Just scored a stack of this awesome new Zacht Automaat double LP out now on U.S. Girls affiliated Calico Corp label.  We'll let the Calico Corp folks fill you in on the details:

"This record is an introduction to the band Zacht Automaat.
Zacht Automaat are a duo. Carl Didur lives in Toronto and Michael McLean lives in Oxford though both are from Hamilton, Ontario.
In the span of 3 years they have recorded 11 albums (and counting), this record compiles moments from the following albums: Electrische Duo, We're Glad You Agree, Smart Candle, I Can Feel The Mold In Me, As It Is Spoken It Shall Be Done, The Smiling Wilderness, Get Baack, We Can't Help You If We Can't Find You, Bags Inside Bags, There's Nobody Home, and Disturbed Ground."

This overview of Zacht Automaat's storied and massive back catalog is a sonic journey that twists and bends with adventure and amazing sounds with each new track.  We're talkin' 27 cuts of instrumental krautrock and tape squiggle experimentation that worms their way deep into your brain like some undiscovered video game soundtrack.  One thing is for sure, this duo keeps things good and weird while making some seriously infectious sounds.  This comes with a CD version and a download in an edition of 333.  Oh, they are hand numbered as well so, you know… collector's item!  And if you cop this and still can't get enough you can head over to their bandcamp page where all of their records are available for free.  Boom!  Anywho, this self titled collection is really freaking great and unique and mind blowingly Recommended.

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LP - Kosmonaut - Future Machines - $12.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen
BLOOD RED WAX EDITION LIMITED TO 100!!!

YES!  More high quality kosmische music from Kosmonaut.  The These Are Not Records label has offered up this winner so we'll let them fill you in on the details here:

"Brain-melting spaciness from Texas, Kösmonaut is Patrick R. Pärk, who delivers propulsive retro-ish psych-prog electronics. Imagine a missing link between the sci-fi rockin explorations of Heldon and the cosmic sounding grooves of Tangerine Dream and Conrad Schnitzler."

Those Heldon, Tangerine Dream and Conrad Schnitzler nods are spot on for sure.  Kosmonaut's glimmering synths and motorik clatter make for a fine outing on "Future Machines" and we got the limited red vinyl version so hop to it space explorers cuz these will not be around long.  Supremely Recommended.

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LP - Peter Gutteridge - Pure - $24.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

FUUUUUUUUUUCK YES.  Our bros over at 540 Records have issued Peter Gutteridge's lone solo album "Pure" on vinyl ~ GLORY BE! 540's got the 411, so mind yer P's & Q's & pay attention:

Peter Gutteridge is the man who launched a thousand Flying Nun bands. Founding member of The Clean, the Chills, the Great Unwashed, Snapper and the Puddle, Gutteridge released one solo album, Pure, on Xpressway Records in 1989 which was recorded between 1986-1987.
"1989 - Xpressway, one of the finest labels ever to exist release Pure. A collection of fragments and completed songs recorded on a Fostex 4 track. They were all written to tape, ideas going down as I made them up. I've always loved a dirty drone. Notes corrupted and split apart by the miracle of the sympathetic note - i.e. bagpipe, chanters, organs, pianos, ad infinitum. Throw a few clear notes in and you achieve creation on yr own terms. The stars were in the right position to deliver a dose of cosmic junk to the hungry ears of N.Z. (The guys two doors along View St, Morley, Merritt and visiting co-conspirators thought the same, getting onto and forming their own opinions and units of corruption - i.e. Dead C and other miscellaneous units. Pure = you betta B! Good Luck and Enjoy."

If you've never heard "Pure" get ready to lose yourself in 4 sides of ragged, Kiwi pop-awesomeness! Gutteridge's credentials should be what's catching your eye initially, but upon listening to "Pure" you'll find yourself awash in avant-pop experimentalism, minimal synth excursions, Suicide-esque sinister synth cacophony & gurgling guitar mantras! The freewheeling enthusiasm is infectious over the course of these 21 tunes, & it's seemingly disparate confections sit well paired restlessly next to each other, reminding us a bit of the puzzle piece mental travelogues of The Swell Maps. Xpressway only ever issued this on cassette in 1989, so this marks it's vinyl debut - and remastered for maximum fidelity to boot! HOT DAMN! We're fans of every single band this guy's been in, so that alone was enough for us to pick this up, but aside from that it's a stunning set of tracks deserving & worthy of your attention! RECOMMENDED x 1,000,000!!! GET THIS.

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LP - Tronics - What's The Hubub - Reissue - $17.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

SWEET! Just in time for Christmas, M'Lady's Records unleashes two - count 'em TWO Tronics reissues for our eager earholes; "What's The Hubub Bub" (their second full length - this one right here) & "Say! What Is This?" - a collection of outtakes & unreleased tracks from 78-83. BOTH on vinyl for the first time ever - STAGGERING! M'Lady's got the goods for alla youse Shark Fucks, so listen close:

"NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!! What’s The Hubub Bub originally appeared in 1980/1981, and was so far ahead in its approach to songwriting, performance, recording, and presentation that we’re just now catching up. Issued at the height of the British post-punk renaissance, on cassette only, it presaged the DIY underground movement in this country by several years, and until now, has been more rumored than heard. Recorded mostly live to cassette, the album has an astonishing breadth, taking in and transmuting savage rock’n’ roll, tender ballads, tape experiments, and in the case of “The Shark Fucks,” bona fide anthems. ZIRO BABY (now known to comrades as ZARJAZ BABY and fronting the incredible group FREAKAPUSS) and his songs have held sway with hundreds of the underground cognoscenti for decades now, cassettes of TRONICS albums being passed around like secret handshakes. It remains a singular example of true self-expression, whilst at the same time rocking harder than (fill in almost any band‘s name here). M’lady’s Records is very proud to be issuing What’s The Hubub Bub for the very first time on LP, remastered and packaged with the original sleeve."

Recorded live to tape in '80/81, 'What's he Hubub Bub' picks up right where "Love Backed By Force" left off, with Ziro Baby's minimal & succinct pop songs sidling up to you like an old friend. Taking the melodic smarts of pop greats like Buddy Holly or Modern Lovers & the giddy exuberance of then-modern-day DIY compadres-in-arms like TVP, Young Marble Giants & Swell Maps, Ziro manages to stitch them together into his own melodic alien language. A true original who has yet to be pinned down, "What's The Hubub Bub" get a bit more avant-garde with spoken word passages, sampled bits from tv/movies/classical records & tape collage experiments.  Totally amazing & (like "Love Backed By Force") a record that has a vibe that has yet to be matched. Reissued & remastered with love by the folks o'er at M'Lady's, we are STOKED to have these available again! Contains the smash hit "Shark Fucks". Yes indeedy. What's the Hubub? THIS record right here. RECOMMENDED.

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LP - Tronics - Say! What's This? - Reissue - $17.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

SWEET! Just in time for Christmas, M'Lady's Records unleashes two - count 'em TWO Tronics reissues for our eager earholes; "What's The Hubub Bub" (their second full length) & "Say! What Is This?" - a collection of outtakes & unreleased tracks from 78-83 (this one right here). BOTH on vinyl for the first time ever - STAGGERING! M'Lady's got the goods for alla youse Shark Fucks, so listen close:

"NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!! TRONICS, led by ZIRO BABY, who issued records between 1979 and 1983 are a musical rarity as things go. The releases brought Tronics and Ziro Baby, then and since, great acclaim being noted in the music press as “a swamp God”(1), “the essence of Rock n Roll”(2), “arguably, a pre-cursor for English Post Punk and Indie music”(3) and being credited for issuing the first independent cassette album in 1980 that started the cassette music boom that continues today(4). Despite the successes of the Tronics releases, being continually highly sought after and loved by so many, Tronics and ZARJAZ BABY—the name that Ziro works under today with his group FREAKAPUS—remain rare, mysterious and enigmatic underground phenomena. Perhaps it was with this in mind that brought Brett Lyman, co-owner of M’lady’s Records, to remark that the recordings on this album were like finding a hidden room in the back of Tutankhamen’s tomb. M’lady’s Records is very proud to announce that we’ll be issuing Say! What Is This? on September 24th, 2013, in the eternally popular LP and CD formats. Over 90% of this album has never been heard by the public."

Odds & sods be damned! If anything, "Say! What's This?" helps to paint a broader picture of Zarjaz Baby's musical legacy. Many tracks on the first side are all live cuts with a full-on band raging like punks possessed (and are absolutely thrilling!) Also contained therein are a few demos of tunes that ended up on "Love Backed By Force" and some never before heard tunes too! In fact, a majority of the  unheard "studio" cuts feature a live band, emphasizing even more how Tronics were the UK equivalent to The Modern Lovers or VU, playing simplistic pop songs rooted in classic R'n'R, but not afraid to jam outside the box now & again. A killer addition to the ever-illuminating world of Zarjaz Baby. Strap yerselves in, folks, 'cuz this one's RECOMMENDED.

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12in - Tuxedomoon - No Tears - Reissue - $12.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen
ORIGINALS SELL ON AVERAGE FOR $65!

Another week is upon us and like clockwork another mind melting reissue shows from the unbelievably prolific Superior Viaduct.  We'll let them set the stage behind their latest:

"Founded by Steven Brown and Blaine Reininger in San Francisco, Tuxedomoon are a futuristic alternate reality of delirium and existential dread. Aligned with fellow Bay Area experimentalists The Residents (to whose Ralph Records the group eventually signed) and Robin Crutchfield’s post-DNA project Dark Day, Tuxedomoon developed a unique combination of synthesizer and guitar that placed them at the forefront of the US post-punk movement in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Their 1978 debut EP, No Tears, was recorded with vocalist Winston Tong and sound engineer Tommy Tadlock. Replete with tense synth swells, devastating live drums and a psychotic ode to the “creatures of the night,” the title track is a crucial entry in the synth-punk canon that stacks up next to the best work by Units and The Screamers. Reininger’s electric violin congeals with electronic atmospherics to unnerving ends on the instrumental “Litebulb Overkill.” Few records do justice to the mania and paranoia of a forsaken city; none do it for San Francisco like Tuxedomoon’s No Tears."

For all the wonderful weirdness going on in the late 70's/early 80's SF underground there really was no other act quite like Tuxedomoon.  They could be manic and refined at the same time, they could casually slither out waves of ominous dread while simultaneously draw you in with an effortless charm and charismatic grooves.  "No Tears", their first EP, is body contorting array of synth punk genius that is equal parts herky jerk dance party and downright terrifying.  Just the kind of combo we live for round here.  Add one of these high quality reissues to your collection pronto cuz finding originals is nigh impossible and they regularly sell for $60 to $70 if you are lucky enough to spot one.  Super Recommended.

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12in - Tuxedomoon - Scream With A View - Reissue - $12.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen
ORIGINALS SELL ON AVERAGE FOR $30!

Another week is upon us and like clockwork another mind melting reissue shows from the unbelievably prolific Superior Viaduct.  We'll let them set the stage behind their latest:

"Founded by Steven Brown and Blaine Reininger in San Francisco, Tuxedomoon are a futuristic alternate reality of delirium and existential dread. Aligned with fellow Bay Area experimentalists The Residents (to whose Ralph Records the group eventually signed) and Robin Crutchfield’s post-DNA project Dark Day, Tuxedomoon developed a unique combination of synthesizer and guitar that placed them at the forefront of the US post-punk movement in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Scream With a View, recorded surreptitiously in The Residents’ private studio in 1979, advances brilliant melodic concepts through analog technology for a sound barely comprehensible today. On “Where Interests Lie,” punchy drum machine underlies barbed and eerie leads from guitarist Michael Belfer (The Sleepers). “(Special Treatment for the) Family Man”—a reference to Dan White’s trial for the assassination of San Francisco’s mayor George Moscone and supervisor Harvey Milk in 1978—is an indignant vigil cut with a rare brand of macabre humor. Saxophone, Polymoog, violin, e-bowed guitar, and CB radio interference make Scream With a View the insidious foil to the urgent No Tears EP."

For all the wonderful weirdness going on in the late 70's/early 80's SF underground there really was no other act quite like Tuxedomoon.  They could be manic and refined at the same time, they could casually slither out waves of ominous dread while simultaneously draw you in with an effortless charm and charismatic grooves.  This, their second EP offers up more what Tuxedomoon excelled at, unique song structures, interesting instrumentation and a sound that is as infectious as it is paranoid. Totally Recommended.

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LP - Murderedman - Love In Danger - $11.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

Cleveland, OH's Murderedman dropped by the Chicago shop recently and blew our collective doors off.  Murderedman's sonic assault is abrasive, acidic and unstoppable that is both intelligent and primitive.  It seems Cleveland bands love to fuck with time signatures and Murderedman is indeed one of those bands, changing up time signatures on the drop of dime while never relenting in brutality and force.  We're hearing hints of Craw, Twin Stumps and Brainbombs with dashes of feedback and whitenoise further distorting unhinged moans and yelps from a vocalist that is providing pure paranoid terror.  Noise attack guitar nihilism, distorted bass grooves and bone shaking drum pummel all combine with frantic howls to make one of 2013's most menacing full lengths. "Love In Danger" is 8 tracks of urban annihilation and misanthropic pig fuck dirge, it comes in a screen printed jacket with a screen printed insert brought you by the A Soundesign Recording label and it most assuredly comes with our highest of Recommendations.  This one is supremely brutal gang so don't sleep cuz we're not sure if and when we can get these back.
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LP - Bionic Cavemen - Predator - $13.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

Chicago's own Bionic Cavemen just released into the wild their hard hittin' debut lp "Predator" after slaying the shop for their record release in-store in late November 2013.   Equal parts fuzzed up / whiskey drenched stoner rock and bluesy psych rock, this album is sure to get you fired up just right for yer next all night troublemaking session.  Fans of Graveyard, Witchcraft, Reverberation Appreciation Society releases, and all things DUDE-ROCK come and get some. Recorded and mixed at Electrical Audio for extra mean fidelity, "Predator" is a mind melting, muscular spin that most likely won't travel too far from yer turntable. SO YEAH YOU NEED ONE NOW!!!  RECOMMENDED!
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7in - Sulphur Lights - Cowboy b/w Nothing - Beat You Up - Import - $9.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

Brisbane garage punk mutants, Sulphur Lights are back with a brand new self-released 7 inch to kickstart your holiday mayhem, " Cowboy b/w Nothing / Beat You Up."   All three tracks are short, nasty, no frills budget rockin' just the kind we can't get enough of!  YES!!! Manic, blown-out, on the edge of falling apart garage punk that falls somewhere in the realm of the classics like the Mummies, Headcoats, Black Lips and Makers.  Fans of fellow Aussie RnR cohorts, Eastlink, Ausmuteants, Straight Arrows, Ex-con and Living Eyes as well as the aforementioned bands need to grab this single ASAP!   Cuz it's WWWAAAAAYYYYYYY RECOMMENDED. 

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Permanent Records Update 12.10.13

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Tshirt - Grim Reaper - Black Tshirt w/ White Ink - Small - $14.99 - BUYbuy
Tshirt - Grim Reaper - Black Tshirt w/ White Ink - Medium - $14.99 - BUYbuy
Tshirt - Grim Reaper - Black Tshirt w/ White Ink - Large - $14.99 - BUYbuy
Tshirt - Grim Reaper - Black Tshirt w/ White Ink - XLarge - $14.99 - BUYbuy

LIFE IS SHORT, BUY MORE RECORDS!

Designed by Ryan Duggan (of Loose Dudes/Basic Cable). Ultra soft - Many sizes available!

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LP - Basic Cable - I'm Good To Drive (Beer Wax, Ltd 100) - $14.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

Permanent Records' 39th Label Release!

Our buds at the Empty Bottle penned this little bit about Basic Cable for our 7th Year Anniversary party and we think it sums these snide booze fueled bad vibe bringers up very fucking nice:

"Channeling bad vibes, worse hangovers and a general life-keeps-shitting-on-us attitude, Chicago's BASIC CABLE find a way to have fun as they commiserate with each other, and their listeners. Fairly new to "the scene," their blown out guitars, shouted, monotone vocals and punishing rhythms make for a noisy, punk-as-fuck attack that tingles our dingles in ways we can barely comprehend." – Empty Bottle

Review snipets from split flexi single with Endless Bummer on Notes and Bolts / Eye Vybe Records:

"Basic Cable, formed by ex-Loose Dudes, Heavy Times, and current Running members, is a thrashing two minutes of caterwauling vocals, and instruments that sound like they're going to fall apart at any moment." – Notes and Bolts / Eye Vybe Records

"Basic Cable, comprised of some Chicago's assorted noteworthy maniacs from various other quality acts mentioned above, lean in thick and mean with a paranoid rocker that pummels a riff into the ground while some terrifying laser sound sets its sights for your soul. It's all over waaaay too soon, so here's hoping we're getting more material from BOTH acts in the near future. Savagely Recommended." – Permanent Records

RIYL: Cows, Jesus Lizard, Pissed Jeans, METZ, Watery Love, Fang, AmRep

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LP - Various Artists - Who's A Punk - The Very Best Of British Punksploitation - $14.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

First came 'Je Suis Punk", a collection of unheard French Punk "punksploitation" obscurities (i.e. band's who were created to - or changed their sound in order to cash in on the burgeoning "punk fad"), and now comes "Who's A Punk?" - the British counterpart to those finicky Francs. LOADED with razor-sharp riffs and catchy as hell melodies designed to make you pogo your safety pins right off! We dug "Je Suis Punk" and are jammin' hard to these 14 tracks - RECOMMENDED, but act fast - it's surely limited and won't stick around too long!

"Track Listing:
RICHARD NEWMAN – Juvenile City
RADIO ACTIVE – Alltime Needletime Loser
TELESCOPE – Bye Byes (Ain’t Nice)
STEVE VOICE – Schooldays
GYPPO – High Rise Love
WOZO – Punk Rock
HORRORCOMIC – Jesus Crisis
SEPTIMUS – Do You Wanna Touch My Safety Pin?
AIRSHIP – Gimme A Can Of Spray Paint
YELLOW DOG – Down At The Vortex
COLIN LLOYD BAND – Badly Bruised Slightly Stoned
JOHNNY DU CANN – Throw Him In Jail
THE MONKS – Johnny B. Rotten
ALBERTO Y LOST TRIOS PARANOIAS – Fuck You"

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LP - White Fence - Live In San Francisco - $19.99 - BUYbuy
LIMITED LENTICULAR COVER / CLEAR VINYL DELUXE EDITION!

It's amazing to us that what started out as a home-recording project by former Darker My Love/Fall/Strange Boys guitarist Tim Presley has evolved into a fully-functioning hot-shit live band! Presley's pitched tent recently over at his SF-homies' label Castle Face Records - read the straight dope from Tha 'Face:

"The first in a series of live albums from the Castle Face stable gets you TIM PRESLEY and company tearing it up over two nights (March 30th and 31st) at San Francisco’s Amnesia club. Thirteen songs that show a different side of the band than their studio output, recorded straight to Tascam 388 by engineers CHRIS WOODHOUSE, ERIC BAUER, BOB MARSHALL and JOHN DWYER. LP includes a download.   Everyone with any degree of hearing loss knows that, at its best, the loose and shaggy beast of a band balancing on the crest of their capabilities is the ideal, the firefly that all records aspire to capture in a jar for your repetitive pleasures. The live record promises better, but somehow most fall flatter than the painstakingly refined and honed tones of a studio creation. Who better to try to right this wrong than a bunch of home friers, 4 track freaks, and DIY gear-cookers? John Dwyer had the idea of recording our friends live with his Tascam 388 and it rapidly galvanized into a real crew of heavy hitters and voila, we come bearing the fruit of that unholy union...  WHITE FENCE throw a fork in the light socket with their blistering live set, captured in all it's ragged glory to tape on Thee Tascam 388 under the sternly masterful yet tender care of low-budget luminaries Eric Bauer, Chris Woodhouse, Bob Marshall, and of course, our own John Dwyer. They were screaming out of the speakers that night and we kept it safe in a jar for you, undiluted and unsullied. This and the whole series will be packaged in handsome but simple trappings - a thick gloss jacket featuring black and white photos of the evening (shot to film!) that you can marvel to in envy as the jams pour out of your speaks and into infinity. However, this being the first of (we hope) a long and fruitful series, we're offering a limited colored vinyl edition that will feature an alternate lenticular cover, catching the band eternally between two instants of an amazing night at a tiny club full of sweaty, lucky souls."

Dubba-dubba-whaaaaa??? This record is a scorcher! White Fence RIP thru what's essentially a greatest hits collection of their material from "Swagger Vets and Double Moon", "The Pool", "Baxter Corner" and cuts like "Pink Gorilla" from their most recent album "Cyclops Reap", sporting a TRIPLE guitar lineup including Presley's brother Sean-Paul. The live setting really gives Presley time to shine - he's an excellent and inventive guitar player, whose real chops seem to get buried or lessened on White Fence's proper albums.  This album marks the first in a series of "Live In San Francisco" albums Castle Face is doing (we hear a Fuzz one isn't too far behind), recorded by John Dwyer, Eric Bauer (the man behind the decks of Ty Segall and Mikal Cronin's albums) and engineer du jour Chris Woodhouse, so you KNOW this puppy sounds GOOD. Get this while the gettin's good - Live free or die hard, motherfuckers. RECOMMENDED.

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LP - Fuzz - Live In San Francisco - $13.99 - BUYbuy

Fuzz has taken everyone by storm in 2013 - spitting out three killer singles and their undeniably SHREDDING debut album on In The Red, but WATCH OUT DUDES. We know you thought you could end 2013 unscathed, but Fuzz is back on the block with this HOT SHIT scorcher of a live album on Castle Face Records. Pay attention:

"Behold—when we introduced this live series, we spoke of lightning in a jar—this here’s a thunderstorm. TY SEGALL’s new stoner thrashers FUZZ not only totally murdered this set at San Francisco leather-daddy hangout The SF Eagle, but it was Ty’s birthday and he blew out his birthday cake candles mid-song, didn’t miss a beat, and that moment is forever etched into this record (we took a photo, too).  “The place was insanely packed and they sound like the agile wolf-men they are up close and personal—Ty, mic wailing through a guitar amp and dominating drums like it’s the easiest thing in the world; CHARLIE, guitar set to Hendrix-meets-Hawkwind melter-mode; and ROLAND, keeping his bass firmly lodged in the groove—the jams are thick and wooly, we got some great photos of the night—man, this was one to remember and we’re super excited we captured such a freakishly good performance. As always, captured hot to tape, and mixed and massaged by our crack team of speaker-freakers (CHRIS WOODHOUSE, ERIC BAUER, BOB MARSHALL and JOHN DWYER) and shot to nicely grainy (real) film by BRIAN PRITCHARD.”

BELIEVE US when we tell you that as great as the Fuzz album is, the best way to experience FUZZ is in a live setting. If you haven't yet, then this album should get pretty damn close. Recorded like a live-wire direct t tape by master audio-alchemists Chris Woodhouse, Eric Bauer, Bob Marshall and John Dwyer, Fuzz is practically sweating thru these grooves pushing out the tuneage by force and jamming them into your earholes.  The controlled chaos of the tunes in their recorded version is blown apart in these four jams herein - the band is tight as fuck and Charlie shreds - SHREDS like a man possessed! Live album stigma be damned this one is WELL WORTH your attention and is full to the brim with more cauldron bubbling evil than conveyed in the pic of a smiling Segall and Dwyer holding birthday cake on the back cover. RECOMMENDED, but act fast - if Fuzz's previous sales history tells us anything is that these WILL NOT be around long!

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LP - Liminanas - Costa Blanca - $11.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

OUI!!!!!!  Our favorite French rock n rollers, Limiñanas, are back with their third long player, "Costa Blanca", on Trouble In Mind!!!! 

"The Limiñanas are back on Trouble In Mind with their third album, “Costa Blanca”! Once again recorded at their home in the south of France by Lio himself, “Costa Blanca” pushes the envelope of their signature Franc-o-phonic sound; the coloeur café cool of Gainsbourg, the hypnotic drone of VU-era Cale, and the spiky fuzz of Davie Allan. This time around the band laces the tunes with a dramatic flair of French New Wave soundtracks and the percussive sonic accents found in Morricone’s work in Il Gruppo, particularly “The Feed-Back” whose funk-laced tracks incorporate elements of avant-classical and experimental sonic elements.
Fans of the band will no doubt hear familiar passages; melodic themes that appear and disappear not only over the course of this album, but that also reference The Limiñanas’ entire oeuvre - melodic “jump-cuts” that are sonic echoes of previous tunes and future melodies. Thematically, “Costa Blanca” is an insular record, with subjects that reference Lio’s youth growing up in Spain in the 1970’s near the Mediterranean Sea and lyrics which are nostalgic odes to the music, films, girls, books and cars that shaped his world. “Costa Blanca” includes a printed inner sleeve, and a download code.
RIYL: Sérge Gainsbourg, Velvet Underground, Kim Fowley, Ennio Morricone, Stereolab, Stereo Total"

On "Costa Blanca" the Limiñanas have hit their hypnotic stride!!!  Hazy melodies waft through the air, sexy vocals twist and turn around the droning psych, fuzzed out ye-ye morphs into garage jangle and then vanishes into thin air.  "Costa Blanca" is a place you've never been before, a new wave French film you've never seen, a good memory that's gonna repeat itself, a dream you spend all day revisiting and remembering, an aural journey you're gonna want to take over and over again.  No French band going these days swirls together such an addicting mix of Gainsbourg and VU like the Limiñanas.   So grab yer sunglasses and yer pack of Gauloises, and head out for the "Costa Blanca."  It's where you need to be.  Vous besoin de cela. Très recommandé!!!!

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LP - Simple Circuit - Simple Circuit - $15.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen
Edition of 250

The Austin Texas onslaught continues with Simple Circuit's art damaged self-titled self-released debut!!!!!   Fighting for notoriety in a city already overflowing with killer bands, Simple Circuit's brand of catchy fuzzed out, angular garage punk definitely puts them at the top of our lists of bands to watch out for.  Fans of fellow Texans rock n rollers Video, Spray Paint, OBN IIIs and Gospel Truth as well as junkies for shop faves like Intelligence, Thee Oh Sees and Tyvek might've just found your new go-to record.   Forget the second tier garage punker bands kicking around and grab this killer debut album now.  "Simple Circuit" is SUPER RECOMMENDED!!!!!!!!

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LP - Yuri Gagarin - Yuri Gagarin - Import - $19.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen
BACK IN STOCK!!!

Get ready to blast off in to the stratosphere with Sweden's newest cosmic adventurers, Yuri Gagarin, and their self titled debut album on zine-turned-label, Levande Begravd !!!!  Here with some words for the occasion is our friends over at Terminal Boredom:

"Debut LP from Swedish space-rockers named after a Soviet astronaut. Whereas the real life Gagarin was the first man in space, the band named after him is another in a very very long line of spacerockers and psychedelic cosmonauts dating all the way back to Hawkwind, the band YG are obviously the most influenced by. Nothing wrong with some wind hawking, especially when it's done as heavily and respectfully as these guys do it. Swedish rock might not be a very original scene, but they replicate other locales and genres very very well. Two massive instrumental tunes per side, and I was at first worried that there were no vox, but after soaking in this for a few spins I'm glad there's no voice to distract me from the hypnodrone. Two guitar attack, one doubles up with the bass for propulsion and the other is the explorer venturing out on solo missions. The real key here is the synths/FX guy who makes the whole outerspace trip work with ring modulators, multiple synth layers and drones, squeals and lasers, and whatever machine makes that deep space whoosh sound that is in the background on every one of these songs. I'm going to call it an orgone accumulator. It's a pretty cool tone and essential to space travel emulation on record. This thing doesn't go in for any of that doom-rock or stoner Sabbath worship, they just stay on mission and traverse the outer reaches of the galaxy for a good hour or so, like a heavier modern update of 'In Search of Space'. They keep it crisp and smart and don't fall victim to the dum-dum moves that makes bad stoner rock bands a dime a dozen (and again, this thing it not stoner rock, although I imagine it would be conducive to the puffing of some herb). A very good genre piece, and a fantastic record to zone out to. Artwork looks like a collaboration between Moebius and Roger Dean ripped from the pages of Heavy Metal. It certainly does the trick. (RK)"

Man oh man it's difficult to return to earth after one side of Yuri Gagarin's debut album, even more so after the whole LP.  A heady mix of Amon Duul II / Hawkwind meets Loop / Monoshock cosmic travelling, "Yuri Gagarin" fits right in with all the kraut obsessed space rock bands we can't get enough of here at the shop.  Guitars explode, synths swirl, lysergic grooves suck you deep into the outer realms of the universe, where you might never return from, and that would be fine by us.  Junkies for Mind!, Tjutjuna, Wooden Shjips, Our Solar System, White Hills and Oscillation might just have a new favorite band.  Levande Begravd couldn't have picked a better album to start their label with!!!! COSMICALLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!!!!

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LP - Verlaines - Hallelujah All The Way Home - $13.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

It's a veritable convent full of Flying Nuns ovah here! Captured Tracks has dropped more FN-bombs, mining the creme de la creme of the roster with two, count-em, TWO new Verlaines reissues!  Read on:

"The Verlaines 1985 debut album, Hallelujah - All the Way Home defined both the Dunedin band''s style and the ''Flying Nun sound''. Grounded in songwriter Graeme Downes’ innate and inventive sense of melody, at the heart of these 8 songs are magnificent tales of drunkards and romantics all punctuated by guitar blasts and instrumental flourishes. Re-issued in its'' original gatefold format along with a replica album release poster from the time.
Out of press since its release, all tracks have been remastered and each gatefold LP includes a digital download and replica of original poster."

UNSEEN on vinyl since it's domestic issue on Homestead in 1989, "Hallelujah All The Way Home" finally makes its way back onto our turntables, and if you ask us - 24 years has been way too long. Between The Clean and The Chills, The Verlaines helped to define the Flying Nun sound of smart pop hooks laced with a healthy dose of reverb and jangle. "Hallelujah..." was many people's first taste of what these guys had to offer and it garnered them some serious fans along the way, including Superchunk, who covered "Lying In State" in '92 for the Aussie 'tour-only' "Hit Self-Destruct" 10-inch. There's a real debauched but scholarly elegance to many of these tracks, like a gaggle of learned drunkards jamming in your grandma's living room - good thing there's plastic on the duvet! A TOP-TIER reissue sneaking in JUUUUUST before the end of the year - good thing we haven't finalized our "Best reissues" list yet! RECOMMENDED!

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LP - Verlaines - Juvenilia - $13.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

It's a veritable convent full of Flying Nuns ovah here! Captured Tracks has dropped more FN-bombs, mining the creme de la creme of the roster with two, count-em, TWO new Verlaines reissues!  Read on:

"Juvenilia is a compilation of the Verlaines’ brilliant early singles and EPs. First released in 1987, and reissued in 1993 with bonus tracks it documents the band’s early history and is the perfect introduction to one of New Zealand’s great bands.
Opening with the irrepressible ‘Death and the Maiden’, a song that for many is archetypal of the group’s deft ability to wield a pop hook. The album also features their first two tracks, ‘Angela’ and ‘Crisis After Crisis’, recorded on Chris Knox’s four track and released on the infamous Dunedin Double EP.
Juvenilia, complete with orchestral and brass flourishes, is a constant display of the unstoppable songwriting skills of vocalist/guitarist Graeme Downes. From single ‘Doomsday’ through to their perfect love song ‘Joed Out’, Juvenilia is a compilation filled with all the elegant and often magnificently moody elements of the Verlaines."

THIS is what we're talkin' about - between The Clean and The Chills, The Verlaines helped to define the Flying Nun sound of smart pop hooks laced with a healthy dose of reverb and jangle. This is ground-zero for Verlaines' music; here's your gateway record. LOADED with hits starting with their signature tune "Death and The Maiden" and not even coming close to stopping after that. If you've been looking for the first place to start your Flying Nun obsession (or Verlaines obsession - an easy one to acquire), you could do a lot worse than 'Juvenilia'. FUCKIN' A. Recommended to the MAXXX.

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2xLP - Various Artists - The Ecstasy of Gold: 26 Killer Bullets from the Spaghetti West Vol. 4 - $23.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen
LIMITED TO 750 COPIES!

Semi-Automatic Records offers up volume number 4 of their amazing Spaghetti Western compilation series, here's the details directly from the label:

"Volume four in this essential and peerless series. Selected from one of the most complete Spaghetti Western audio archives, this five-volume series showcases the most inspired tracks in this legendary genre. Digging deep to excavate a treasure trove of obscure and rarely-heard tracks by some of the genre's greatest composers and vocalists, Ecstasy of Gold is the definitive series for aficionados of Euro-Western films and the music that they created. Loud gunshots with reverb and echo appear with the first image of a lawless killer riding a horse... a punchy and trebly bass guitar seeps into your brain as he draws his pistol, a hair-raising scream half-melodic, half-banshee spews forth from the speakers as blood splatters yet again onto the desert floor. The audio soundtrack to the Italian version of the American West is flamboyant, brutal, intense, and unforgiving. Songs composed for the Italian Westerns of the 1960s and 1970s have become a genre all unto themselves. There were hundreds of European Westerns during this period and the majority of them were made by Italian directors and scored by Italian composers. Crying trumpets, exploding surf guitars, thundering drums, droning organs, dramatic vocal performances, and innovative special effects were woven into a wild and violent desert backdrop creating that undeniable Spaghetti Western sound heard on this record. The most famous of all the Italian soundtrack composers is Ennio Morricone and his music for the Italian Western is guaranteed to inspire and amaze until the end of time itself. But there were many other great and legendary maestros who scored their share of Westerns and this compilation presents transcendent, brilliant and challenging tracks from the likes of: Bruno Nicolai, Gianni Ferrio, Francesco De Masi, Marcello Giombini, Luis Bacalov, Stelvio Cipriani, Alessandro Alessandroni, Nora Orlandi, Nico Fidenco, Piero Umiliani, and many others. 2LP gatefold in a limited edition pressing of 750 copies."

This 4th volume is further proof of the thrilling sounds coming out of Italy in the hey-day of Spaghetti Western productions.  26 more heart pounding, mood setting pieces rife with tension to perfectly compliment the image.  26 more examples of how when great score music is composed by some of the most talented composers going, the image becomes unnecessary as the sounds more than stand on their own.  This compilation will more than deliver with its 26 cuts of cinematic soundscapes, but we recommend tracking down all 4 volumes for the full experience.  Heavily Recommended.

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LP - Ryley Walker - The West Wind EP - $12.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

Chicago folkster Ryley Walker ups the platter size for his 12inch debut and it's on the always solid Tompkins Square label no less!  We'll let the Tompkins Square folks get you started:

"Ryley Walker’s debut 12 EP featuring three songs : “The West Wind” from his forthcoming album, due in April; “A Home For Me”; and “Sweet Little Betsy”, an instrumental guitar duet with Daniel Bachman. (The latter two songs are exclusive to this EP and will not appear on the album, or anywhere else, online or otherwise). The EP is audiophile quality 180g vinyl at 45rpm."

After dropping our jaws with that 7inch single on Addenda, Ryley Walker is back with another spirit lifter.  Like a man from another time, Ryley Walker's gentle workings of acoustic guitar intricacies are simply sublime sounds.  This little teaser EP, which features 2 exclusive tracks as well as track from his forthcoming LP, is the perfect little ear pleaser for fans of well crafted folk music in the vein of Nick Drake, Bert Jansch, Tim Buckley and Richard Thompson.  Supremely Recommended.

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LP - Stone Garden - Stone Garden - Reissue - $25.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

Hard 'n' heavy jammmmmmz reissued by Spanish label Out-Sider Music of this Idaho quartet! Out-Sider's got the IN-side scoop on these long-hairs:

"Stone Garden were a heavy psychedelic band from the Midwest, famous releasing in 1969 one of the best heavy-psych 45s ever, “Oceans inside me”, for the same label as the legendary Fraction (Angelus). Between 1969 and 1971 they also recorded a bunch of tracks which never saw the light of day until the mid-90s, when the great Rockadelic label issued them in a limited edition vinyl album. Out of print for many years, we present a new edition of the Stone Garden album featuring new artwork and insert with lot of pictures and liner notes. Furious, ultra-primitive hard-psychedelic rock in Sabbath and Blue Cheer vein, highly recommended to anyone into obscure 70s doom and hard-rock sounds."

HOLY HELLFIRE! These dudes are firing on all-cylinders straight from track one! "Oceans Inside Me" is the obvious hit here, packing a punch reserved for other bands of greater notoriety; this tune should have made these guys as big as Blue Cheer, Cream, Groundhogs or at least Bloodrock fer chrissakes! The rest of the tunes pack nearly as serious a whallop (check the serious jammer "Woodstick" on side 2!), basing their melodies in the blues, but skyrocketing into the stratosphere until their faces turn "Cherry Red" (if ya know what we mean). There's a serious whiff of proto-punk too - the single version of "Oceans" even has some Steve McKay-style saxophone rockin. If you dig any of the aforementioned bands, grab this MONSTER of an LP before it gets scarce... seriously we've not heard an archival release this savage since perhaps the Jerusalem reissue - GET THIS OR DIE TRYING. Recommended!
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LP - Thundertree - Thundertree - Reissue - $25.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

Murky, moody psych-rock from this Minneapolis quintet! Thundertree recorded this lone album in 1970 for Roulette and politely sank without a trace! Guerssen lovingly reissued this mustachioed monster for the rest of us to enjoy, so plant those roots and read on:

"Coming from the same Minneapolis 60s scene which spawned bands like The Litter, Thundertree evolved from garage band The Good Idea. In 1970 they released their sole album for the Roulette label: a perfect example of the transition from psychedelia to hard-rock and early progressive sounds. Killer fuzzed out guitar, organ, powerful vocals…Including hard-psych classics like “In the morning” or “Room at the top of the stairs” along with the monstruous 17 minute long “2025” suite. For this, the first ever legit vinyl reissue of Thundertree, we’ve included two previously unreleased tracks: “Pepper Palace” (a great psychedelic number) plus a storming cover of “Sixteen Tons”, which was the signature song on Thundertree’s live shows. Both tracks were recorded at UA Studios, Minneapolis, in 1970. An insert with lot of pictures and bio notes by Billy Hallquist (Thundertree, Persephone Billy) is also included.  24-Bit remastered sound."

Laced to the gills with stinging fuzz leads and some heady organ swells, Thundertree take you on a truly cosmic odyssey culminating in the sidelong  "1225" suite, a journey of it's own consisting of six musical movements playing out like an acid-fried freakout version of "A Quick One"... damn! These guys skirt the line of "flower power" ever so deftly - there's some soft psych harmonies and even some progressive flute-flourishes here and there, but overall it's some seriously hirsute heady jams! Psychedelic lumberjacks need not apply. Guerssen has sweetened the pot by adding a couple of killer unreleased bonus cuts too - We can dig it! It's our happening and it's FREAKING US OUT ~ RECOMMENDED.

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LP - Glaxo Babies - Nine Months To The Disco - Reissue - $15.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

The Superior Viaduct label continues to own 2013 with its unrelenting reissue campaign of everything essential and her yet again they are offering up this stone classic by the Glaxo Babies.  Read on as the label tells you what lies ahead:

"After the abrupt departure of singer Rob Chapman, Bristol’s Glaxo Babies moved into more improvised and electronic-based territory. Their early demos (as compiled on Put Me on the Guest List, also available from Superior Viaduct) only hinted at such exotic sounds. Other bands from Manchester and New York were spiking post-punk with dance beats, yet Glaxo Babies were brimming with fun and spontaneity, spearheading England’s death disco movement in the process. Reportedly recorded in a single day, Nine Months to the Disco originally appeared on Heartbeat Records in 1980. Glaxo Babies’ sole proper album veers between wiry electro à la Liquid Liquid (“Free Dem Cells”), piano-based free jazz burners (“Seven Days”) and progressive post-Krautrock jams that would make even This Heat blush, culminating in the mutant funk masterpiece “Shake (The Foundations)” (which was regularly covered by The Pop Group in their live set). Nine Months to the Disco is a monster statement, equal parts ballroom bangers and dancefloor clearers. Released domestically for the first time ever, the album is available on vinyl and CD with liner notes by The Pop Group founder Mark Stewart and band members Dan Catsis and Charlie Llewellin."

Uhm, yes yes yes… what they said times a million!  Those hints of Liquid Liquid, This Heat, progressive post-Krautrock and mutant funk are all spot on.  And liner notes from the Pop Group's Mark Stewart!  Yep.  We're sold completely.  Superior Viaduct is killin' with all these amazing reissues and this Glaxo Babies LP is just as essential as the rest of their catalog.  "Nine Months To The Disco" is a freaking fun filled blast from end to end and comes with our most enthusiastic Recommendation!

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LP - Life Stinks - Life Stinks - $12.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

HOO BABY - S-S Records just won't quit! Soriano's back with two heavy hitter's just comin' in under the wire of 2013, one being this debut MONSTER of an album from San Francisco band Life Stinks! Grab a beer and read what S-S is spewing:

"As Robvertogo of Terminal Boredom wrote, Life Stinks is "San Francisco's last punk band." Firmly standing in the puddle created by Crime, Flipper, Fang, and the Fuck-Ups, Life Stinks is the proper negative reaction to the rapid take over of San Francisco by cyber douchebags. Cool, dark, bad attitude with a groove (and a nod to Velvet Underground). They have a single on Totally Punk which is aces, a nice slap in the face. Producers Mikey Young and Kelley Stoltz have taken that face slap and turned it into a gut punch. Blow for blow, this is one of the best punk rock and roll albums to come out of the Bay Area in at least a decade."

Life Stinks features former Outdoorsmen singer/guitarist Chad Kuwamara and shares that band's chaotic scumfuckery, however Life Stinks comes 'atcha with switchblade drawn like some back-alley scuzzball with ice in his veins and a thirst for blood. There's a healthy dose of treachery and menace that's been sorely missing from a lot of rock'n'roll and punk these days, and to our ears the warped tunes spewing from this platter sidle up and push you around like the unholy collision of Fang, Flipper, Modern Lovers and the Velvet Underground (particularly on the 16 minute closer "My My My", a tune we wish would never end every time we hear it). This is music made for miscreants, mutants and malcontents, so if you're jonesin' for some nihilism grab this one ASAP. Guaranteed to bum out yer friends before side one is over. This party-killer is RECOMMENDED.

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LP - Spray Paint - Rodeo Songs - $12.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

Austin, TX's Spray Paint are BACK buds and they're back with a vengeance. "Rodeo Songs" is their second full-length this year and it's on S-S Records again, Soriano's got the low-down on these chaps, so perk up, young buckaroos:

"We released Spray Paint's first full length at the beginning of 2013 and it quickly sold sold. Did a repress and it keeps selling. Why? Because not only are these guys a great band, playing an updated mix of Wire/100 Flower/Lake of Dracula/A Frames - style punk/post punk, but they regularly tour (and like to do so). They've played SXSW a few times, Cropped Out, Gonerfest, and a couple stages at Fun Fun Fun. They have played live on WFMU and KDVS and get good rotation at college stations across the US. They have an increasing fan base in Europe, Australia and Japan. In 2014, they have their sights set on touring Europe and the West Coast. Their second album Rodeo Songs is even better than their first, so we expect no drop off in response to this Austin trio."

It's only been nine months since Spray Paint's eponymous debut album was released and in that time they've gestated this mutant masterpiece in their respective wombs. "Rodeo Songs" skitters and scrapes like a shuriken-stocked ninja tweakin' on joy-juice, upping the ante on the debut by exuding not only a firmer grasp on their musical vision, but also a dizzying confidence is the power of silence and space. The songs push and pull on each other, radiating a tension and menace we haven't had the pleasure of hearing since the last time The A-Frames graced our turntables! There's ample amounts of cacophonous No-Wave guitar scree all over this platter, but the band uses it with precision, only drawing the blade when necessary (which makes it's impact all the more jarring) This is a TERRIFIC one-two punch from S-S by one of the best and most alluring bands out there right now - GRAB THIS ONE NOW before you get lost in the dust, cowpoke. RECOMMENDED and destined for Top Tenner status fer sher.

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LP - High Speed And Afflicted Man - Get Stoned Ezy - Reissue - Import - $25.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH SHIT! "Get Stoned Ezy" is HERE. We are so stoked. As you might have guessed we are HUUUUGE Afflicted Man fans here at the shop (we reissued "I'm Off Me 'Ead" fer chrissakes!) and the very sight of 'Get Stoned Ezy' in our record racks has us doing backflips! Reissued with love from the heavies o'er at Guerssen Records - here's the low-down on this low-brow, psych-punk JAMMER:

"In 1982, the mysterious Steve Hall, a self- proclaimed hippie- punk who had previously released a couple of D.I.Y basement- punk albums with his band Afflicted Man, recorded one of the most obscure, underrated and KILLER heavy- psych albums of all time. Credited to High Speed and Afflicted Man, Get Stoned Ezy consists of three long tracks of late 60s / early 70s influenced psychedelic hard- rock. A fuzz- wah assault of epic proportions in the style of other guitar- damage Gods like Human Instinct, Wicked Lady, Hendrix, High Rise, Sabbath, Stooges, etc, all played with a real acid- punk attitude.
We present the first ever legit reissue of this lost masterpiece, licensed by Steve Hall.
Remastered sound, insert with detailed liner notes by Chris Stigliano (Black To Comm) and rare pictures.

"High energy post- Stooges, wah- guitar brain- melt of the highest/lowest order. One of the great lost albums of the 80's. Fucking essential."
Ripley Johnson (Moon Duo / Wooden Shjips)

What is Steve Hall? He's the pinnacle of psych! Chris Stigliano (Forced Exposure / Black To Comm) Too freaked out for punks, too punked out for freaks, 'Get Stoned Ezy' is a bloodbath of pedal stomping carnage - Tom Lax (Siltblog)"

If the testimonial from Siltbreeze head-honcho Tom Lax isn't enuff for you, then TAKE IT FROM US - "Get Stoned Ezy" is one of the greatest (and misunderstood in it's time) psych-punk records EVER MADE.  Weird that by looking to the past, Steve Hall was too far ahead of his time for 1982! This is straight up Ron Asheton circa 'Funhouse'/Hendrix/Wino circa 'Obsessed' guitar scree! Hell "Sun Sun" (which occupies ALL of Side Two) could easily be mistaken for a Butthole Surfers outtake! IT'S JUST THAT GOOD.  WHY ARE YOU STILL READING THIS? BUY THIS NOW. Hell, buy two 'cuz you're guaranteed to wear out your first copy! OG's of this bad-mutha are SCARCE, so don't count on finding one at as reasonable a price as this. RECOMMENDED times INFINITY.
GET STONED EZY MOTHERFUCKERS...

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LP - Night Beats - Sonic Bloom - $14.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

Seattle's Night Beats blew our collective noggins off with their s/t debut album on Trouble In Mind a couple years ago - a dizzyingly refreshing take on reverb'd out, Texas-tinged, acid-fried psych-garage! The trio is back with their newest long-player 'Sonic Bloom' on The Reverberation Appreciation Society - sit back and take a whiff off this Pflower:

"The Reverberation Appreciation Society is proud to announce the release of the new Night Beats record, Sonic Bloom.
Recorded in a Tacoma, Washington warehouse, Sonic Bloom is an explosion of reverb soaked rock and soul blended with sharp drone numbers and classic rhythm-and-blues founded tracks. From the haunting psychic groove of 'Seven Poison Wonders' to the sparse Zombies influenced 'Playing Dead' to the squealing ruckus of 'Rat King', Sonic Bloom harkens back to the outer corners of rock and roll radio of yore.
The Seattle-based band have spent the past few years relentlessly touring in over 20 countries. The trio -- featuring Danny Lee Blackwell on guitar/vocals, Tarek Wegner on bass/vocals, and James Traeger on drums/vocals -- will keep up the pace, touring this fall in support of Sonic Bloom."

The years on tour have definitely solidified these road dogs as one of the tightest-wound units playing! "Sonic Bloom" swishes, sways, shimmys and sashays across the turntable, exuding the left-handed smoke of tweakers bred on pounding, savage garage stompers and sun-baked, psychedelic sonic explorations. This time around The Night Beats keep it a little closer to the chest, with most of the tunes never straying too far "out" (save the 7-minute mind-jamming closer "The New World"), and they temper some of the acid-freakouts that peppered their s/t affair in favor of a more varied palette; jazzy tunes, barrelhouse piano, and sitar mantras resonate fluidly across the album's 52 minutes, almost sounding like a distillation of their killer live set - pop hits that you can shake your ass to. Guitarist Lee Blackwell continues to shine here, with his scorching lead work continuing to set the tunes ablaze o'er the top of one of the tightest rhythm sections since Thee Oh Sees started pluckin' their plectrums. We're definitely fans of these boys and "Sonic Bloom"s got the goods - what are you waiting for? Grab this one quick - RECOMMENDED!

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LP - George Brigman - Jungle Rot - $16.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

YEEESSS!!!  The Obscure Oxide label has gone and reissued this legendary album of punk blues.  Take a quick look see at the thrilling story below and grab this sucker like yesterday cuz its not gonna leave your turntable for a spell:

"Released in 1975 by Baltimore teenager George Brigman, "Jungle Rot" was a self-produced slab of molten fuzz that had no chance of gaining an audience before the punk revolution. Conceived as a tribute to British psych-blues band the Groundhogs and their leader Tony McPhee, the album takes that bands' acid-fried boogie and warps it with primitive recoding techniques and the fevered isolation in which Brigman worked. The title track alone with its fuzz-damaged guitar pan and punishing four-on-the-floor rhythms is worth the price of admission, yet the rest of the album delivers equally inspired wallops of technical brilliance and blown-out acid shred. Predictably, the few hundred copies of the album that Brigman pressed quickly fell through the cracks and were promptly forgotten—until a music collector found a copy at a flea market in Maryland and started making noise about it. Reissued on disc for the first time in 2005, this is not only a lost classic, it’s one of the loudest, rawest, and most uncompromisingly great albums of the 70s. Brigman might have been a self-confessed Groundhogs fan, but this buzz saw concerto sounds like it was created by Iggy Pop’s more demented younger brother. Sparkling new vinyl version from the original tapes, mastered by John Golden; the sound quality exceeds the original (poorly mastered and pressed) release in every way. Comes with a color insert, and exact copies of labels and cover art. Hear Brigman sing—with an ear-to-ear sneer from beneath an avalanche of distortion—"Remember what your father said / When the weather’s hot / Talking about all the young girls / Beware the jungle rot”, and you'll wonder why Jungle Rot hasn't been shouted from the roof tops in every Blue Cheer, Groundhogs and Stooges-loving ghetto the last three decades.

"The music is as advertised:  gutbucket 1975 energy crisis blues, awash in FX and teenage hormones... (Brigman's) punk/blues approach also prefigured the White Stripes to whose fans Jungle Rot will appear to in particular.. it deep-mine(s) a moment that, because it has not yet been referenced to death, remains startling and vital." —Jon Savage, Mojo Magazine
"George Brigman has been popular for decades among underground music fans. he has an amazing voice full of snarl and venom, and uses layers of murky fuzz and phasing in the background. Jungle Rot is an original work that contains elements of psych, hardrock, and 1970's proto-punk, and it has garnered fans in all three fields. The lyrics hit the same renegade vibe as the music." —Patrick Lundborg, Acid Archives" - Obscure Oxide

We've long hailed "Microminiature Love" by Michael Yonkers as one of Permanent's all time faves and if you dig that one then this will be right up your alley.  Fans of the Bonehead Crunchers comps take note as well, George Brigman's unsung outsider masterpiece is one for the ages.  Gobs and gobs of fuzzed out distorto blues that just bleed with honesty and hard earned authenticity is what Brigman is bringing and his blistering psychedelic punk is as pure as it gets.  You can hear the long hair and feel the dirt under the fingernails as blazing guitar clatter spikes your eardrum like a prison shank hell bent on revenge and escape.  If you dig blown out bizarro gutter jams with layer upon layer of fuzz and a frenzied voice baring his soul then cop this Baltimore born rip-roaring classic now.  Absolutely Essential and Supremely Recommended.

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LP - Eidetic Seeing - Against Nature - $13.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen
BACK IN STOCK!!!!

We just got a batch of the latest album from Brooklyn, NY's Eidetic Seeing called "Against Nature" and boy is it a doozy.  5 cuts of fuzzed out, down-tuned psychedelic space rock that bobs and weaves from slow burn head nod blues tinged doom, acid damaged stoner grooves to hyperdrive feedback drenched speedfreak powerhouses.  There's touches of Earthless, Heads, White Hills, Earth and some classic Sabbath worship at play here, but Eidetic Seeing are blazing their own lysergic path of psychedelic crunch and "Against Nature" is further proof of the time put into song craft and countless hours spent experimenting with dynamics and pushing ever forward into further reaches of the cosmos.  There is some serious musical chops on display here with nuanced yet frantic guitar playing, bass moves that slither while rattling yer insides and some damn fine drumming going on.  This is self-released and comes with a complete download of the album as well as our heaviest Recommendations.

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LP - Chrome - Half Machine from the Sun: The Lost Tracks '79-80 - $29.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

PRex shoppers outta know by now that we are massive, MASSIVE Chrome fans over here at the shop, so when we caught wind that Helios Creed was compiling unreleased tracks recorded during the band's classic and most fertile period of 1979-1980 we just about soiled our spacesuits! King Of Spades Records are the lucky ones tapped to release these lost treasures into the world, and here's Helios himself pontificating on Chrome and this release:

"Tracks recorded by Helios Creed and Damon Edge in '79 and '80, during the Half Machine Lip Moves and Third from the Sun period, but never released. About this era Helios recently wrote: 'We were into Iggy and the Stooges, and punk shows started happening at the Mabuhay Gardens in 1976 which was right there in North Beach too, at the end of the Broadway strip. It was the most fun era of my life. The punk scene had an incredible energy and fire. Then the Sex Pistols came out with Never Mind the Bullocks in 1977 and we released Chrome's second album Alien Soundtracks the same year and the whole punk thing exploded. Next we released Half Machine Lip Moves in 1979 and it and Alien Soundtracks took over in the punk world. Our record covers filled the windows of record stores and I was in awe. We weren't really a traditional punk band. Nobody else sounded like us. We were more of a psychedelic band, but a punk version of psychedelia, acid-punk. But I was influenced by the punk scene, because the music was experimental and free, but still hard and solid. punk's guitar was fucked up and without rules. So it was a great scene to keep developing my sound and my approach to guitar. Damon and I were both into expanding the possibilities. We fed off of each other in our experimentation and as we created we'd both like the same things. There was this thing that Damon and I called 'the Chill Factor' where if its really good you get goose bumps, and we used to get the 'Chill Factor' at the same time. We shared concepts about how to approach music and we pushed the limits and that is how I guess we became known as proto-industrial, because we expanded the possibilities of what music at the time could sound like and people were influenced from there. Damon's and my meeting had become a catalyst for the birth of a whole new sound.'

We gotta say - the prospect of listening to unreleased Chrome tracks from the CLASSIC fucking lineup had us licking our lips and this double LP does NOT disappoint! EVERYTHING you'll wanna hear is here; Helios Creed's brain-busting guitar squall sounds like an intergalactic transmission coming from the inside of a space demon, and Damon Edge's abstract synth-screes conjure up visions of soul-sucking cosmic banshees!  It's frickin' great - if you're a Chrome fan AT ALL you definitely NEED THIS. Pressed up onto sun-baked orange vinyl and remastered/mixed by Jay Tausig under the supervision of Helios himself this makes it practically undeniable!!! These WILL NOT last long, so if you're on the fence at all, just go ahead and get it. This one comes with our highest (and HIGHEST) recommendation. GET THIS.

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2xLP - John Carpenter - The Fog - $41.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen
BLAKES GOLD EDITION!

The Death Waltz folks unveil another drool worthy release with this deluxe edition of The Fog soundtrack by horror legend John Carpenter.  We'll let the Death Waltz peeps fill in the gaps:

"Death Waltz is set to release a double vinyl album of The Fog which includes the original movie score as released in 1984, along with a bonus vinyl including all of the original movie cues which have never been made available on vinyl before. The Fog was JOHN CARPENTER’s first film after the low-budget success of Halloween, and tells the story of a small North California fishing town terrorized by a glowing supernatural fog containing the vengeful ghosts of six murdered lepers. Like most of Carpenter’s films, the score was written by the director himself, and built on the more simplistic piano melody and synthesizer combination of the iconic Halloween score, to create something much more abstract and foreboding. Album cover art is by DINOS CHAPMAN—yes the Dinos Chapman: as an internationally renowned solo artist, and together with his brother Jake, Dinos Chapman makes iconoclastic sculpture, prints and installations that examine, with searing wit and energy, contemporary politics, religion and morality. The Chapman's have exhibited extensively, including numerous shows at White Cube, Tate Britain, and Tate Liverpool."

Horror movie soundtrack fans best grip this one immediately as it is a classic amongst the genre.  Goosebump inducing synthesizers, menacing bass tones and eerie piano melodies pervade throughout the entirety of this soundtrack and the second LP contains all the movie cues, which have never been on vinyl ever!  Can you say collector's item?  These records have been lovingly assembled with the greatest care and attention to detail, seriously once you feast your eyes on these beautys in person you'll see that these truly a work of art.  Fans of Goblin, Umberto and Ensemble Economique will definitely want to take note, but you prolly already knew that since John Carpenter is the OG when it comes to terrifying and beautiful soundtrack music.  Super Recommended.

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10in - Sea Of Shit - Sea Of Shit - $11.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen

Like bringing a gun to a knife fight, Chicago's Sea of Shit are slaying ALL with their blistering brand of power-violence vengence.  15 cuts, burns and slashes of sadism pressed up in an edition of 500 out now on Diseased Auido.

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7in - Way To Go Genius - Egg - $4.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen
LIMITED TO 300 COPIES ON "UNCLEAR" WAX AND COMES WITH A SALT AND PEPPER PACK FOR EXTRA FLAVOR!!!!

Upcoming and coming LA garage punks, Way To Go Genius, are back with a brand new / heavy hittin' 7 inch, entitled "Egg."  Fans of the stripped down, extra mean variety of PUNK RAWK like the Drags, Supercharger, New Bomb Turks and the Humpers will absolutely start bouncing off the walls when the needle hits the wax on "Egg."  There might even be circle pits and shotgunned beers in yer near future.  But one thing we now for sure is Way To Go Genius know how to keep rock n roll LOUD DIRTY and FUN AS FUCK.  And that'll always get our HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!!!!!!!!  
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Tape - Fuzz - Fuzz - $11.99 - BUYbuy - LISTEN listen
NOW AVAILABLE ON CASSETTE FROM EASY RIDER RECORDS!!!

Hey you, stop counting the days, cuz FUZZ IS IN THE BUILDING.   Three teaser singles didn't satiate us, so thank god we finally have the self-titled debut by Fuzz to crank all the way up til the neighbors complain.  YES!   Take from here In The Red:

"Fuzz is Ty Segall (drums / vocals), Charlie Moothart (guitar / vocals) and Roland Cosio (bass). They’re heavy rock lifers—three California-bred dudes who have been refining their riffs and getting weird together since high school (which wasn’t that long ago, actually).  If you are not already aware of Segall, well, what’s up? He’s one of garage rock’s most prolific sons. He said he was going to take it easy this year, but by the time you finish reading this, the onesheet for his next record will have already arrived in your inbox. Moothart plays guitar in The Ty Segall Band and was also a member of The Moonhearts, which included Cosio on guitar. Way back in the early ’00s, all three played in the Epsilons.  Fuzz was formed a couple years ago as a collaboration between Segall and Moothart, but only recently did the pair have sufficient time to guide the band out of side-project limbo and into a recording studio. Since then, they have released two singles, “This Time I Got a Reason” (Trouble In Mind) and “Sleigh Ride” (In The Red). Around the time of the latter, Cosio joined on bass.
They are not dabblers or dilettantes. Fuzz flipped through used bins, hard drives and record collections of the world, seeking out the finest weirdo cuts. The band’s self-titled debut LP, which was recorded by Chris Woodhouse (Thee Oh Sees, The Intelligence), dives deep, drawing inspiration from the more esoteric reaches of heavy metal pre-history. There are Sabbath and Hendrix nods, obviously, but on “Sleigh Bells” you might also catch a whiff of UK progressive blues business like The Groundhogs, particularly when the song quits its 10/4-time intro and reboots into full-bore choogle. Maybe you’ll even glimpse the ghost of Australian guitar legend / sharpie guru Lobby Lloyde sniffing around “Raise.”
The mood is not light. The songs project a state of perpetual paranoia and eroding mental health. And as it should be, you know? It’s a record for the burners."

"This TIme I Got A Reason" grabbed us by the ears and wouldn't let go.  Then "Sleigh Ride" 7 inch turned us into junkies.  And then came the "Sunderberry Dream" single which, as far as we can tell, has whipped up a frenzy from coast to coast.   So here it is, no riots, there's enough Fuzz to go around!!!!!!  We're not sure exactly what happens when Ty, Charlie and Roland get in the same room, magic maybe, but the words "power trio" don't do it justice.  Get ready to journey through halls of RnR most unruly forefathers, from the garage rock unknowns to the psych rock warriors and on through the proto metal heads and into the cosmic realms of anyone who dared to take guitar riffs and RnR pummeling to whole new levels.   HOLY SHIT THIS ALBUM IS OUT OF CONTROL GOOD.  But don't let us try and convince you.  Let yer ears walk your through the checkout line.  THIS ONES MEGA RECOMMENDED!

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Tape - Quingo - Quingo - $4.99 - BUYbuy
LIMITED TO 50 COPIES!!!!

Mysterious sonic evil from members of ET HABIT!!!!!!!  Need we say more?  RECOMMENDED!!!